The Suzuki MotoGP Test Team continued development of its 2015 MotoGP machine at the Circuit Of The Americas in Texas, USA mid-April with test riders Randy De Puniet and Nobuatsu Aoki making further steps forward in readiness for Suzuki's return to the MotoGP world stage in 2015.

Both riders were joined for the test by Suzuki's 1993 World 500cc Grand Prix Champion Kevin Schwantz and includes interviews with all, along with on-track action.

Suzuki MotoGP test rider Nobuatsu Aoki will join 1993 World 500cc Champion Kevin Schwantz and former All Japan Superbike Champion Satoshi Tsujimoto in the Yoshimura Suzuki Legend Team at the Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Championship second round in July.

In celebration of the company’s 60th Anniversary, Yoshimura will also run a second team managed by Yohei Kato - Yoshimura Suzuki Shell ADVANCE - comprising Japan’s Takuya Tsuda and Australian Josh Waters.

Said Yoshimura President and Legend Team Manager Fujio Yoshimura: “I've had many concerns about making the best choice to appoint a third rider for the #12 Legend of Yoshimura Suzuki Shell ADVANCE team for the Suzuka 8-Hour Race. The main concern was the physical condition of both Schwantz and Tsujimoto in the gruelling heat during the race. They are still fit and motivated, but completing eight hours is really tough. Also, even though they have brilliant racing histories and experience, it is not so easy to advance to the Top-10 Trial, so my choice was to pick Nobuatsu Aoki as the third rider.

“He has been racing with Team Yoshimura at the Suzuka 8-Hour for the last six years and there has been nothing to complain about with his performance or reliability in the team. He knows our GSX-R, Bridgestone tyres and the Suzuka Circuit very well, and both Schwantz and Tsujimoto have great respect for him because of his capability and also in helping develop a winning machine!

“It is a great honour to have riders like Schwantz, Tsujimoto and Aoki for Yoshimura's 60th Anniversary race, and it is going to be one of the most memorable events for us.”

Aoki said: “Both Kevin Schwantz and Satoshi Tsujimoto have been my heroes since I was a teenager, and the Team Manager Fujio Yoshimura has been a big name in racing. I am proud to be one of the riders in the Legend Team to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Yoshimura company.

“My duty is leading the team to the victory with my experience, and I will do my best. It will be the seventh time that I have raced the Suzuka 8-Hour in the Yoshimura team and I am honoured that I am also the rider with largest number of Yoshimura appearances in its history.”

Schwantz said: “It is great to have Nobu on the team and I look forward to riding with him. I had to ride against him last year; and now we get to ride with him this year!”

Tsujimoto added: “I am relieved to hear Nobu will be our team mate. Since the Legend team was made, I have been thinking he would be the best rider to race with. He is a reliable rider and I have seen him on the Suzuka 8-Hour podium four times for the Yoshimura team, so he is a suitable rider. I am sure Fujio will be leading us in the best way and Kevin, Nobu and I will show the best performance.”

The Suzuka 8-Hour race takes place at Suzuka Circuit in Japan on July 27th.

Austin, TX – April 3, 2014 – One of the most notable names in motorcycle racing, 1993 World Champion Kevin Schwantz will once again be wearing RS Taichi leather suits and protective gear. Schwantz wore RS Taichi gear during several of his memorable seasons in the 500cc class, including time spent in Pepsi and Lucky Strike livery. His partnership and success with Taichi apparel all started with his victory at the 1988 Daytona 200. Schwantz took to the track in RS Taichi leathers again for the first time on Monday at the Circuit of The Americas media day, as newly appointed motorcycle ambassador for the circuit.

It has been announced that later this year, Schwantz will pair with his original 1986 Suzuka 8 Hours teammate, Satoshi Tsujimoto, to contest the prestigious race on a special Yoshimura Suzuki "Legends Team". The Texan has also been known to pop up at the occasional club race, and instructs at his Schwantz School. So even at age 50, Schwantz genuinely puts his protective gear through its paces.

Kevin Schwantz commented, "I am really excited to be riding the Suzuka 8Hour again in 2014 with my 1986 teammate Satoshi Tsujimoto on a Yoshimura prepared Suzuki. To wear RS Taichi leathers, whose leathers I wore from 1988-1992, for the 8Hour race this year will be great as their hands-on attention, service and support, in Japan is what you have to have for an event like the 8Hour race!"

Hiroshi Matsubara, president of RS Taichi Inc. commented, “We are so glad to have Kevin in RS Taichi racing suits and protective gear again. I worked together with Kevin back in the day and it has been a great memory. It is a great honor to work with Kevin again and can’t wait for the Suzuka 8 Hours to come.”

Audrey Menarik, owner of Moto Liberty, the U.S. importer for RS Taichi commented, "I've worked hard for the past 6 years to bring RS Taichi back to the level of brand recognition they deserve. When I heard Kevin was returning to Taichi, I was elated. There could not be a better ambassador for the American market than Kevin Schwantz.". In addition to a very long history of involvement with motorcycle racing in the U.S., Moto Liberty also serves as one of the largest motorcycle gear retail stores in the region, and services the growing RS Taichi U.S. dealer network.

About RS Taichi: RS Taichi has been producing high quality riding apparel for over 30 years. Founded by former professional motocross racer Taichi Yoshimura, the company is based in Osaka Japan. RS Taichi offers a complete line of street and track related products, from basic, everyday riding necessities to the very pinnacle of professional level racing equipment. For the 2014 season, they are the racing leathers provider of choice for such notable American racers as three time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, Dane Westby, Chris Ulrich, Jake Holden, Michael Barnes, and many others in the world and national championship ranks.

AUSTIN, Texas (March 27, 2014)– Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and motorcycle racing legend Kevin Schwantz have amicably settled their legal differences and have reached a new agreement to collaboratively promote motorcycling racing at the Austin circuit and across the United States. Schwantz will serve as an official ambassador for COTA and work to promote the upcoming Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas MotoGP™event set for April 11-13, 2014.

“Kevin is a great champion and partnering with him gives us an opportunity to learn from his deep knowledge, as well as continue to celebrate his accomplishments,” Circuit Chairman Bobby Epstein said. “Kevin and I have always shared the desire to see him be a part of COTA, and it's awesome to finally see it become a reality. A great American track and a great American champion in the same city can't be kept apart. As a result, casual riders, current racers, future stars and the fans all win.”

"I look forward to being the ambassador for two-wheel racing for COTA, especially as the 2014 MotoGP season begins and returns to Texas,” Schwantz said. “Grand prix motorcycle racing has been my life, and to help COTA market and promote that moving forward is exciting!"

As a COTA ambassador, Schwantz will play a prominent role in a variety of promotions for the upcoming Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americasevent in April, including media availabilities and fan activities. For example, Schwantz will serve as Grand Marshal for the MotoGP race on Sunday, April 13, and will lead the parade laps scheduled for COTA’s personal seat license holders on Friday, April 11, between grand prix practice sessions.

Additionally, COTA will work with Schwantz to raise money for an important charity he supports, the Simoncelli Foundation, which was established in memory of Schwantz’s good friend, Marco Simoncelli, a MotoGP competitor from Italy who will be inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend this May. Simoncelli died after an accident during the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. Today through Friday, April 4, COTA will donate $1 for every ticket purchased for the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas to the Simoncelli Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting humanitarian projects that benefit the disadvantaged.

"I am thankful for COTA's support of the Simoncelli Foundation, a charity that's important to all of us who knew Marco personally and fans that followed his career," Schwantz added. “Marco was a great competitor and a very special friend. Now racing fans everywhere can honor his memory and help a cause important to Marco by purchasing a ticket to Austin’s MotoGP race."

Tickets for the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas start at $39 and are available for purchase at http://circuitoftheamericas.com/motogp/. Children ages 12 and under receive free general admission with a ticketed adult.

Terms of the legal settlement between COTA and Kevin Schwantz were not disclosed.

About Kevin SchwantzOne of the most popular motorcycle racers of all time, 1993 500cc Grand Prix World ChampionKevin Schwantz is one of just 20 riders to have earned the status of MotoGP Legend.

Born to parents who ran a Texas motorcycle shop, Schwantz learned to ride at a very young age, and he soon began competing in observed-trials events, where he developed a fine sense of balance. Unsatisfied with the slow speeds in trials, he quickly moved on to hare scrambles, flat track and motocross racing, but following a bad crash at a 1983 supercross race in Houston he began road racing in the competitive WERA series.

Schwantz immediately earned a reputation for riding any motorcycle at the absolute limit, and in 1984 he caught the attention of journalist/racer John Ulrich, who arranged a test ride with Yoshimura Suzuki. That led to a spot on the team in the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) national series the following year, and even an appearance in a Japanese race at Suzuka, where Schwantz finished second.

Schwantz continued in the AMA for the next two years, although Suzuki also sent him to Europe on several occasions for wildcard appearances in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship. Upon winning the AMA’s season-opening Daytona 200 in 1988, Schwantz was promoted to Suzuki’s grand prix team full time.

The late 1980s and early 1990s are generally considered to be the Golden Era of grand prix road racing, in which Schwantz had epic battles with his arch-rival Wayne Rainey and other motorcycling heroes like Eddie Lawson, Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan. Schwantz soon attracted a legion of enthusiastic fans who were inspired by his charismatic personality, his aggressive style aboard a bike that was often slower than those of the competition, and his propensity for spectacular crashes.

Between 1989 and 1992, Schwantz finished the season fourth, second, third and again fourth in the final standings, while Rainey collected a trio of crowns. Finally, Schwantz landed the 500cc World Championship in 1993. An injury-plagued title defense saw him finish fourth, and the Texan participated in the first three races of the 1995 season before announcing his retirement from grand prix racing, at which point his racing number, 34, was also retired from grand prix competition. This was the first time in the history of the sport that a rider had been so honored.

Currently seventh on the list of premier-class grand prix race winners, with 25 victories, Schwantz remains a favorite with the fans, many of whom have benefited from his riding instruction at the respected Schwantz School. He was named to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famein 1999 and the MotoGP Hall of Famein 2000.

Still an active racer, Kevin entered the prestigious 2013 Suzuka 8 Hours with Yukio Kagayama and Noriyuki Haga, finishing on the podium. In June 2014, at the age of 50, Schwantz will return to the race with a special Yoshimura Suzuki “Legends Team” that will pair him with Satoshi Tsujimoto, with whom he finished on the podium in the 1986 Suzuka 8 Hours.

Kevin Schwantz Personal Information

Birthdate: June 19, 1964

Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA

Residence: Austin, Texas, USA

Kevin Schwantz Racing Accomplishments

First Grand Prix (500cc): 1986, Netherlands

First pole position (500cc): 1989, Australia

First fastest race lap (500cc): 1988, Japan

First podium result (500cc): 1988, Japan

First GP victory (500cc): 1988, Japan

GP starts (500cc): 105

GP victories (500cc): 25

GP podiums (500cc): 51

GP pole positions (500cc): 29

GP fastest race laps (500cc): 26

World Championships (500cc): 1 (1993)

Last GP victory (500cc): 1994, Great Britain

Last Grand Prix (500cc): 1995, Japan

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame - 1999

MotoGP Hall of Fame - 2000

About Circuit of The AmericasCircuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is the home of world championships and a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. COTA has been nominated as the 2014 “Sports Facility of the Year”by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily. The same publication named COTA’s annual marquee event, the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX,“Sports Event of the Year”for 2013. Additionally, COTA isthe new North American home for the summer edition of ESPN’s X Games. More than one million visitors come to COTA each year for events such as MotoGP™, United Sportscar Racing, the FIA World Endurance Championships, business and social functions, and more than 20 performances at the venue’s acclaimed Austin360 Amphitheater,winner of Pollstar’s “Best New Major Concert Venue”award for 2013 . COTA’s 1,500-acre campus includes a variety of permanent structures, including a 44,000-square foot Event Center, an impressive Main Grandstand with hospitality suites and the Velocity Lounge, a 270,000-square foot Paddock Building with 34 garages, and an iconic 25-story Observation Tower at the heart of the facility. For more information and downloadable video and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com, www.Austin360Amphitheater.comor COTA’s dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com. Follow COTA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CircuitofTheAmericasand Twitter @circuitamericas and @COTAmedia.

The Schwantz School To Go On Hiatus For '14

For the past thirteen years, The Schwantz School has been the premiere performance riding school in the world, creating a multitude of safer and more confident riders across the globe.

Due to Kevin's travel/racing schedule and other factors, The Schwantz School will take a hiatus in 2014 and looks to make a return in 2015.

1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz has some exciting events, both confirmed and in-the-works, for 2014. It was just announced that Kevin will again race the Japanese round of the World Endurance Championship--the Suzuka 8 Hours--on 24-27 July, at the age of 50. Kevin has also been announced as the "Guest of Honor" at the Classic Motorcycle Festival at Donington Park in England on 8-10 August. In addition, there are discussions underway to see Kevin back in England and racing to the checkered flag in the September sun!

On a personal note, Schwantz looks forward with tremendous anticipation to finally completing an extensive remodel on his home in Austin, Texas in 2014. "In addition to the special motorcycling events I will be attending this year, I am really looking forward to moving into my new house and settling in there," stated Schwantz. "Over the years, due to racing, my travel commitments and the school, I have not spent all that much time sleeping in my own bed at home, and I'd like to give that a try for a while."

The Schwantz School would like to personally thank our partners for their continuing support of our Schwantz School efforts, including American Honda Motor Corporation, American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Dunlop, Dainese, Motul Oil, Saddlemen, MID Autocom Direct, GoPro, Arai, Motion Pro, Yoshimura, and Pit Bull Motorcycle Stands.

#12 LEGEND OF YOSHIMURA SUZUKI Shell ADVANCE RACING TEAM

We are glad to announce Suzuka 8H this year is going to be one of the most memorable event ever for Yoshimura Japan! It is our 60th Anniversary year since Pop Yoshimura started this business back in 1954 and we are having a [Legend Team] to celebrate our racing history.

This [Legend Team] will run with two very famous riders, one is 1993 WGP Champion Kevin Schwantz and other is 1985-1986 All Japan Formula-1 Class Champion Satoshi Tsujimoto. They made a pair in 1986 Suzuka 8H, and this team finished 3rd over all.

The team will challenge not only for podium finish but also challenge entertainment side of motorsport as well. In 80’s, world of motor sport was booming like bursting flowers, and Yoshimura has met upcoming young riders and shared many race victories as well.

Even the riders like Schwantz or Tsujimoto, to challenge Suzuka 8H will be extremely tough as high temp humid air, which drains your energies to where you could get into serious dehydration problem. But both of them are willing to challenge to prove there is something that worth challenging!! Therefore, I have to put together the team to support their challenging [Sprit] the best possible manner.

Yoshimura believes that such an effort will make our anniversary worthwhile project, just like Suzuka 8H in 80’s! We can assure you that this effort makes all the spectators to feel team’s sincerity, severity, and bit of nostalgic excitement!

Yoshimura Japan Co., LTD. President Team Manager Fujio Yoshimura

Kevin Schwantz

Competing in the 2013 Suzuka 8 Hour with Team Kagayama reminded me of what racing with a great team is all about. I am really looking forward to celebrating Yoshimura's 60th anniversary of being in business by competing in the 2014 Suzuka 8 Hours on a Pops Yoshimura Suzuki.

Pops was a very influential man in my career, I first met him mid-way through the 1985 season riding for Yoshimura. Riding for Pops taught me a lot and helped groom me to be the competitor that I am. He was a real motivator and got the best out of everyone that worked around him.

In 1994, I presented Pops with my winning Suzuka Grand Prix trophy, the fourth Japanese win of my career, in the Suzuki garage. That photo is still is one of my favorites of all time. Before his passing, he told me I was his only rider to ever win a 500cc Championship, or as it is known today Moto GP, and since his passing his words still hold true.

To be partnered with my teammate from 1986 Satoshi Tsujimoto is a real honor. Thank you to Suzuka circuit and everybody at Yoshimura Japan for the opportunity.